Moving to Malta
In Malta, the median gross salary is €1,801 a month (2022) and a single worker on the average wage keeps 76.9% of gross pay after income tax and employee contributions (2025).
Malta had GDP per capita of US$44,024 and life expectancy of 83.0 years. There were 4.513 doctors per 1,000 people, and the national unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2025. Maltese and English are official languages. Average gross salary was €2,294 per month in 2024, while national median net income was €1,275 per month in 2024.
Can I move to Malta?
Across 198 passports, 93 passports enter visa-free and 105 passports need a visa for Malta. Check your passport below.
- Visa-free
- 93
- Visa required
- 105
Choose citizenship and purpose to see the relevant entry steps.
Entry.
Living & working.
Official requirements [54] · Visitor-entry rules
Residence rules and exceptions
| Citizenship / situation | Starting point |
|---|---|
| EU / EEA citizenship | Free movement; longer residence has conditions.[53] |
| Swiss citizenship | Separate Swiss arrangements, including residence documentation for longer stays.[53] |
| Other citizenship | Check work, study or family requirements.[54] |
| Existing status or family rights | A passport alone cannot establish your eligibility. Check the relevant authority’s guidance. |
These are national starting points, not an eligibility decision. Long-stay residence, work authorisation and in-country application rules differ by route; a visa-free visit never settles them. Check the route that matches your purpose and circumstances with the responsible authority.
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 22 Oct 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Malta?
The national unemployment rate was 3.1 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)14
This is the Eurostat labour-force survey series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
What is the median gross salary in Malta?
The median gross salary was 1,801 EUR/month in 2022.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below.
What is the minimum wage in Malta?
The statutory minimum wage is 5.74 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026). Source: Official statistics: minimum gross hourly wage35
National statutory floor, gross, before tax and social contributions.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary, monthly | 1,801 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly)15Official · national figure |
| National unemployment rate | 3.1 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)14Official · national figure |
| Minimum gross hourly wage | 5.74 EUR/hour | 2026 | Official statistics: minimum gross hourly wage35Official · national figure |
Taxes in Malta
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
What does an average earner take home in Malta?
A single person on an average wage keeps about 25,544 EUR/year of about 33,229 EUR/year gross per year — 76.9% of pay.
Standardized Eurostat EARN_NT_NET (standardized scenario): single person, no children, earning the average wage. The same scenario is published for every covered country, so take-home shares compare directly.
| Component | Amount / year |
|---|---|
| Net wage earnings, kept | 25,544 |
| Income taxes | −4,847 |
| Employee social contributions | −2,838 |
| Gross wage earnings | 33,229 |
- Gross-to-net pay for a sample household: single person no children — 33,229 gross → 25,544 net a year (2025, EUR) · Annual net earnings (EARN_NT_NET), single person without children at 100% of average earnings
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in Malta
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
AWAS food and transport allowance for unemployed open-centre residents — Arrival and reception support | Amount varies | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current official AWAS FAQ identifies the support as a food and transport allowance for unemployed residents of open centres, with accommodation and related welfare services free. The retained official pages give no numeric figure; the payable support is the source-defined AWAS allowance package and varies by the applicable reception-service conditions. The official AWAS FAQ states that AWAS provides a ‘food and transport allowance to unemployed residents of open centres’. The current AWAS Open Centres page describes reception centres, open-centre residents and asylum-seeker client groups, while the AWAS mission page identifies AWAS as the agency for the welfare of asylum seekers and the manager of reception facilities. Resident Of Awas Open Centre In Malta Receiving Awas Allowance; it does not generalise the allowance to every migrant, every asylum seeker or every resident outside an AWAS open centre. | ||
Children's Allowance — Family and child support | 640–910 EUR / Annual | |
Eligibility and amount detailsFrom January 2026, the official Malta page gives EUR 640 per child per year above the EUR 30,000 means threshold and EUR 910 per child per year at or below it; payment is issued every 13 weeks as EUR 160 or EUR 227.50 per child. Malta's Department of Social Security states that the Children's Allowance Supplement also applies to foreigners with fixed residency in Malta and is payable in accordance with their Permit Dates, subject to the published child, income and household conditions. | ||
Housing Benefit Scheme — Housing support | Amount set per household by formula / Annual | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe Housing Authority page states that the monthly subsidy is calculated case by case from applicants' income and rent. The current 2026 English terms, clause 13, publish maximum annual Housing Benefit amounts of EUR 4,200, EUR 5,400 or EUR 6,000 by household category, with the published income thresholds and household/disability additions; the payable amount is not a flat award. The current Housing Authority 2026 terms, clause 5(1)(c), state: ‘the applicant is a Maltese citizen or an EU citizen, a person enjoying a refugee status, a person who possess the status of subsidiary protection, who enjoys a long term residence status or who enjoys a specific residence authorisation.’ The same clause requires the registered private lease, ordinary-residence, income and household conditions. Status Holder Eligible For Malta Housing Benefit, subsidiary Protection Status Holder Eligible For Malta Housing Benefit, long Term Residence Status Holder Eligible For Malta Housing Benefit and specific Residence Authorisation Holder Eligible For Malta Housing Benefit; it does not broaden the source to every foreign renter or every residence document. | ||
Supplementary Allowance — Minimum-income support | 748.8–1,419.6 EUR / Annual | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe official Malta Social Security 2026 history gives annual maximum Supplementary Allowance rates of EUR 1,419.60 for married couples and EUR 748.80 for single persons; income ceilings are EUR 20,000 for couples and EUR 14,000 for singles. Malta's Department of Social Security states that an applicant for Supplementary Allowance should be a resident of Malta for at least three (3) months before the date of application, subject to the published low-income, household and income-ceiling conditions. | ||
Unemployment Benefit — Unemployment support | 17.21–36.14 EUR / Daily | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Malta Social Security page states that from January 2026 Unemployment Benefit is 60% of available salary or earnings for the first 10 weeks, 55% for the following 10 weeks and 50% for the last 6 weeks. It publishes six-day-week minimum/maximum daily rates of EUR 20.64/EUR 36.14, EUR 18.93/EUR 33.13 and EUR 17.21/EUR 30.11 for those periods. Malta Social Security's EU Coordination Rules page states that Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 extends the coordination rules to ‘third country nationals legally resident in the Union’ and lists ‘Unemployment benefits’ among the contingencies covered once the applicable legislation is determined. The current Maltese Unemployment Benefit page separately requires Maltese social-security insurance contributions and registration with Jobsplus. Country National Legally Resident In The Eu Covered By Maltese Social Security Scheme, meaning the source-defined coordination category together with the Maltese insurance, contribution and Jobsplus conditions; it does not infer entitlement from EU residence alone. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in Malta?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Malta when the official insurance or residence conditions are met.
Language courses and integration in Malta
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
Lifelong Learning language-course route — Adult Learning Centres — State Language Course
Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Early School Leavers
For adults, foreign learners, residents.
Free English lessons — St Andrew’s Scots Church, Valletta — Newcomer Adaptation
St Andrew’s Scots Church / official Malta integration information route
For newcomers, English learners.
Living and moving context for Malta
At the end of 2025, the labour supply was 305,462 people and full-time employment was 304,226; registered jobseekers numbered 1,236. In 2025, employment counts included 36,571 people in wholesale and retail, 36,442 in administrative and support services, 25,205 in manufacturing and 23,871 in accommodation and food services. Fixed-broadband penetration was 84% in 2023. Reported connections included cable at 45.1%, fibre to the home at 33.3%, DSL at 13.6% and fixed wireless at 8%; FTTH dwelling coverage was 79.3%. The stated rates were a 35% top income-tax rate, 35% corporate tax rate and 18% standard VAT. The 2026 gross hourly minimum wage was €5.74.
Malta cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
All published cities in Malta (15)
15 of 15 shownSearch all cities
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
What different occupation groups earn in Malta
Mean gross monthly earnings by occupation major group, from ILO ILOSTAT, converted to EUR at the annual-average exchange rate recorded with each row.
| Occupation group | Earnings | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Armed forces occupations | ≈ 2,125 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Managers | ≈ 3,666 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Professionals | ≈ 2,943 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Technicians and associate professionals | ≈ 2,387 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Clerical support workers | ≈ 1,823 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Service and sales workers | ≈ 1,442 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | ≈ 1,378 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Craft and related trades workers | ≈ 1,770 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Plant and machine operators, and assemblers | ≈ 1,688 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
| Elementary occupations | ≈ 1,371 EUR/month (gross) | 2020 |
Source: ILO (ILOSTAT mean earnings by occupation (EAR_EMTA_SEX_OCU_CUR_NB)) · observed 2020 · checked 2026-07-30.
Method and sources for these figures
Mean gross monthly earnings in EUR from ILO ILOSTAT (EAR_EMTA_SEX_OCU_CUR_NB); employees; converted from the local currency at the annual-average exchange rate recorded with each row; ISCO-08 major groups (some series ISCO-88).
ILO — ILOSTAT mean earnings by occupation (EAR_EMTA_SEX_OCU_CUR_NB)
An occupation major group (ISCO or national equivalent) is not a job title: each figure is the average across all occupations in the group, so it is never a salary "for" one profession. Rows from different surveys, periods or statistics are shown as separate rows and are never merged or ranked against each other.
Profession pages for Malta: Nurse · Physician · Teacher · Engineer · Architect · Software developer · Accountant · Childcare worker · Electrician · Plumber.
Malta facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in Malta?
The published population was 568,847 people in 2024. Source: World Bank48
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
How many foreign residents live in Malta?
The foreign-resident population was 168,938 people in 2025. Source: Eurostat7
Residents without Malta citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent deposit can be paid in instalments | 0 | 1 Sept 2024 | Private Residential Leases Act (Cap. 604)43Official · national figure |
| Typical rent deposit | 1 months | 9 Oct 2026 | Choosing A Property3Official · national figure |
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Conditional | 3 Aug 2026 | Malta Interactive Portal — EU Healthcare Entitlement Unit33Official · national figure |
| Area | 320 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank49Official · national figure |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 33,229 gross → 25,544 net a year (2025, EUR) | 31 Dec 2025 | Annual net earnings (EARN_NT_NET), single person without children at 100% of average earnings1Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 520,174 people (2022) | 1 Jan 2022 | Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN)42Official · country annual series |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 4.51 per 1,000 | Not stated | Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators41Official · national figure |
| Household electricity price | 0.128 EUR/kWh | 31 Dec 2025 | Eurostat8Official · national figure |
| Employed women | 115,375 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People in full-time employment | 304,226 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| Employed men | 174,928 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2,788 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 441 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 25,205 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 379 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 1,791 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 20,286 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 36,571 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 16,913 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 23,871 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 11,759 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 15,489 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 3,669 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
| People employed in professional, scientific and technical services | 23,423 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks5Official · national figure |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Language to Go! summer courses + specific Maltese/English language support (Migrant Learners Unit). How to enrol a child (education.gov.mt).
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Settling-in index
How the conditions a newcomer meets in Malta compare with the other 35 scored destinations: integration policy, getting by in English, an established foreign community and language courses. Every point comes from the component table below.
Above the median on the size of the foreign community; below it on integration policy and language courses.
| Component | Reading | Score (0–100) | Weight | Adds | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration policy (MIPEX) | 48 of 100 | 48 | 35 | 22.4 | MIPEX 2020 |
| An established foreign community | 29.7% of residents | 100 | 20 | 26.7 | Eurostat 2025; population 2024 |
| Language courses for newcomers | Lifelong Learning language-course route — Adult Learning Centres (Paid; free in some cases) | 50 | 20 | 13.3 | Lifelong Learning language-course route — Adult Learning Centres |
Working as… in Malta
Open a profession for its available regulation, recognition and work-route evidence.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Malta?
The national unemployment rate was 3.1 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a).
How many people live in Malta?
The published population was 568,847 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in Malta?
The median gross salary was 1,801 EUR/month in 2022. Source: Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly).
What is the minimum wage in Malta?
The statutory minimum wage is 5.74 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026). Source: Official statistics: minimum gross hourly wage.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 23). Moving to Malta: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version a1173bfa766836e42824f5579ffc5e24]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/malta/ Retrieved 2026-10-23. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-malta-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_e1f315a4fef3,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to Malta: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-23},
version = {a1173bfa766836e42824f5579ffc5e24},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/malta/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-23. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to Malta: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/malta/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version a1173bfa766836e42824f5579ffc5e24; retrieved 2026-10-23; built 2026-10-23.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- Annual net earnings (EARN_NT_NET), single person without children at 100% of average earnings ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-30
- Census of Population and Housing 2021, Chapter 5 Religious Affiliation nso.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-30
- Choosing A Property gov.mt · checked 2026-10-09
- Documentation Required for Employment Visa (visas of more than 90 days), version 3 identita.gov.mt · checked 2026-10-09
- Employment Trends downloadable official workbooks jobsplus.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Eurofound, Working time in 2021–2022 (EF23007EN), Figure 11 'Minimum number of days of paid annual leave, 2022' and Annex 2 notes assets.eurofound.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-18
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-20
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Show 44 more sources
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
- Eurostat — Distribution of income by household composition (ilc_di04) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — National accounts aggregates (nama_10_a10) and employment (nama_10_a10_e) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat crim off cat (ICCS0101, NR) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat demo_pjan ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat earn mw cur ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat hbs exp t121 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat ilc_di03 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat lfsta_ewhuis — Usual weekly hours of work of full-time employees (sex total, 15-64, employees, main job) Eurostat lfsta_ewhuis · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-18
- Expatriates — Non-EU Employment Expatriates · identita.gov.mt · checked 2026-10-09
- GDP per capita (current US$), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- ILOSTAT — Average monthly earnings of employees by sex, occupation and currency (annual) ILOSTAT · rplumber.ilo.org · checked 2026-07-30
- Labour Market — National Statistics Office Malta Labour Market · nso.gov.mt · checked 2026-10-08
- Life expectancy at birth, total (years), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Malta — compulsory education age range Malta · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Malta — public school free Malta · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Malta — school enrolment authority url Malta · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Malta — school language support programme Malta · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Malta Communications Authority Annual Report 2023 mca.org.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Malta Interactive Portal — EU Healthcare Entitlement Unit Malta Interactive Portal · s2.eessi.gov.mt · checked 2026-08-03
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
- National Minimum Wage - DIER dier.gov.mt · checked 2026-09-17
- Official statistics: corporate tax rate mtca.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: official language riformakostituzzjonali.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: standard VAT rate mtca.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: top income-tax rate mtca.gov.mt · checked 2026-07-18
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- Private Residential Leases Act (Cap. 604) legislation.mt · checked 2026-10-09
- Public Holidays in Malta — 2026 Public Holidays in Malta · gov.mt · checked 2026-09-25
- Resource Pack 2026 — Department for Industrial and Employment Relations Resource Pack 2026 · dier.gov.mt · checked 2026-10-08
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Identità — EU nationals
Official Malta starting point for EU/EEA/Swiss residence; national guidance only, not a personal eligibility decision.
- Identità — working and residing in Malta
Official Malta national residence and immigration guidance; not a personal eligibility decision.